Third time a charm as St Joseph’s are junior champions

Clarke’s Bar Westmeath Junior 1 Football Championship final

St Joseph's 3-12 The Downs 0-15

St Joseph's have been crowned Westmeath junior football champions for the first time since 2004 after overcoming The Downs in the final at TEG Cusack Park today (Sunday).

It's a sweet and deserved triumph for the Streamstown/Horseleap club, who lost the two finals at this grade.

The Downs were bidding for a remarkable treble with their seniors having lifted the Flanagan Cup and the black and amber brigade also winning the Division 1 minor title.

When St Joseph's led by just five points (1-7 to 0-5) at half-time, having played with the aid of the strong breeze, it didn't look like it would be enough.

The eventual winners were quite wasteful with scoring chances in the first half, but all that was forgotten in the second period when goals from the influential duo of Dean Slevin and Ros Elliffe (his second) set them on their way.

Elliffe's second green flag (41st minute) gave the southern outfit a lead of 3-9 to 0-7. And although The Downs did stage a late rally - with Matthew Cunningham to the fore - they needed at least one goal to ignite a genuine comeback mission.

In addition to the goals from Elliffe and Slevin, another key factor in the victory for Gerry Gleeson's charges was the brace of two-pointers kicked by Ben McDonnell. Those orange flags, one in either half and the second from a free into the teeth of the wind, lifted the Joseph's players and indeed their band of vociferous supporters.

Afterwards, St Joseph's captain Jordan McDonnell was presented with the Hugh Daniels Cup. In his fine acceptance speech, Jordan warmly remembered the late Nicky McCormack, who recently passed away. Before today's game, a minute's silence was observed in memory of Nicky and also Pat Duffy of The Downs.

By a strange quirke of fate, the last time St Joseph's lifted the Hugh Daniels Cup, Westmeath also won the Leinster SFC, just like this year. Perhaps this victory was written in the stars.

St Joseph's will compete at intermediate level next year and they will represent Westmeath in the Leinster club JFC as county champions. However, the celebrations in the Beech Tree, Paddy Ryan's pub and elsewhere are likely to be suitably boisterous before anyone starts thinking about further challenges.

Scorers - St Joseph's: R Elliffe 2-3; D Slevin 1-3; McDonnell 0-4 (1tp, 1tpf); J McDonnell 0-2 (2f). The Downs: M Cunningham 0-4 (1tp); S Colgan 0-3 (1tp); E Mullen 0-2 (1f); C McCourt, D Smith, T Daly, A Cunningham, T Nolan and J Carroll 0-1 each.

St Joseph's - Steven Fennessy; Jake Gannon, Pearse Weir Norris, Denis Leen; Mikey Lynam, Daniel Keegan, Andy Scally; Ben McDonnell, Noah McDonnell; Dylan McDonnell, Jordan McDonnell (captain), Dean Slevin; Aaron McDonnell, Ros Elliffe, Alan Conlon. Subs: Jamie McDonnell for A McDonnell; Dylan Drake for Keegan (54); Brian Fitzgerald for Leen (62); Niall Moran for D McDonnell (63); Brian Killian for N McDonnell (65).

The Downs - Senan O'Driscoll; Elliott O’Rourke, Andrew Brennan, Liam Faulkner; Cian McCourt (captain), Keith Carroll, Conor Daly; Taylor Daly, Andrew Cunningham; Matthew Cunningham, Tadhg Nolan, Sean Colgan; Eoin Mullen, Jack Carroll, Darragh Smith. Subs: Kevin Smullen for McCourt (37 mins); Andrew Shaw for Faulkner (42); Liam Moran for Carroll (46); Adam Conneely for Colgan (58); James Drumm for Nolan (62).

Referee - Eoin Gorman (St Mary's, Rochfortbridge).